Operator identifier transmitter



y 1953 R. L. THOMPSON 2,637,844

OPERATOR IDENTIFIER TRANSMITTER I Filed Feb. 10, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET l H, M1 M 1 l Q F1438 m 5 1:: Er B My 19 20 @5/36 E, a E 57 16 29 43 10 E: HTFIH'IHH 21 IN V EN TOR. RALpA/L 7710441 ,1 7 Tom/EX y 5, 1953 R. THOMPSON 2,637,844

OPERATOR IDENTIFIER TRANSMITTER Filed Feb. 10, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN VEN TOR. RAL PH L. THoM 50/v A T TOR/V5 K Patented May 5, 1953 OPERATOR IDENTIFIER TRANSMITTER Ralph L. Thompson, New Hyde Park, N. Y.; Jacqueline E. Thompson, administratrix of said Ralph L. Thompson, deceased Application February 10, 1950, Serial No. 143,422

2 Claims. 1

The invention relates to electrically operating signal transmitting apparatus such as is made use of, for example, in connection with toll collec-- tion facilities, watchmens stations, fire stations, etc., to identify the operator of the same when they are located at a point remote from the reception point of the signals and when it is customary to operate the printing mechanism therewith. The printed signals may be a number or character assigned to the particular operator, and will appear then on a printed tape together with matter transmitted from the remote point through additional equipment by the said operatoral1 of which is well understood in the art.

Heretofore, step-switching or pulse-transmitting equipment was used for this purpose, the same being operative through introduction of an identifying key therein and its rotation for transmission of the appropriate signals.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel construction of identifier transmitter, together with a novel identifying key designed to cooperate with said transmitter in its manual rotation therein in a predetermined direction.

Another object of the invention is to prevent withdrawal of the identifying key immediately after operation of the transmission apparatus has been initiated, the key then not being withdraw.

able therefrom until after the identifying signals have been transmitted and a complete manual rotation of the key effected.

In carrying out the invention, it is understood that each collector is furnished, in accordance with the accepted procedure, with a key member, which key member in the novel combination comprises a round rod bearing rigid pins extending radially therefrom and designed to effect the desired controls through actuation of appropriate switches as the key member is manually rotated in the transmitter. All of the pins, however, when the key is inserted through the front of the transmitter housing provision being made whereby this must be eiiected in a predetermined angular relationship to the transmitter-become engaged in and project beyond a slot of a rotatable sleeve which is constrained to rotation in one direction only. When the key member has been fully inserted, it operates thereby a switch to energize a multiple switch bank controlling the subsequently transmitted signals upon further rotation of the rod. However, until a release button is actuated no rotation of the rod may be had as the slotted tube with which the pins are in engagement has remained mechanically locked against rotation. As the key member is then rotated in the predetermined direction, one of its pins locks the key in the transmitter and when it has been rotated through an appropriate arc, one or more of the further radially extending pins movable with the key member are caused to operate appropriate switches of the previously energized switch bank which control the identification signals. As the rotation is continued, these switches remain energized until a print control switch is also energized by the action of a still further pin whereby to eifect printing of the identification symbols set up through energization of the identification signals, whereupon all of the signal switches are deenergized.

When the operator or collector desires to remove the key member, a further actuation of the release button is necessary and the rotation of the member continued to a complete otation (360) from the position established at the start of operations, the member with its pins then being lined up with the slotted sleeve and an entrance slot to permit the removal. During the final rotation, however, further closing, printestablishing signals have been transmitted through energization of an appropriate switch.

By preventing rotation of the slotted sleeve to secure rotation of the key member in one direction only, any difficulties would be avoided with respect to the collectors attempting to establish an operating condition-for example, in his lane of equipment in the case of traffic toll collections-without having his key number appear on the tape or other recording medium. This would, however, be possible if he could rotate the ke in the opposite direction where he could get a print on the tape showing no identification number and by continuing the rotation in the wrong direction, establish traffic conditions and collected funds without it ever being possible to prove by whom or with what key the operations were conducted.

The nature of the invention, however, Will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the novel transmitter unit with the identifying key inserted.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figs. 3 and 4- are respective side views of the unit.

Fig. 5 is a view in isometric projection of the operating identifying key and of the rotatable sleeve with which it is adapted to be associated.

Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical sections through the unit taken respectively on the lines 6-6, Fig. 3, and 1-1, Fig. 4, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section through the unit,

taken on the line 38, Fig. 6, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 9 is a further vertical section through the unittaken on the line 9--9, Fig. 8, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, in and l l designate a pairv of. frame plates separated by and secured through the posts l2, [3, I4 and 15, the various elements constituting the novel identifier being supported on said plates. These elements include a sleeve I8 which is mounted for rotation in the space between the said plates. At one end of the sleeve and adjacent the juxtaposed frame plate ll there is mounted upon the sleeve for ro tation therewith a ratchet wheel I! engaging a detent l8 whereby the rotation of said sleeve is confined to one direction only. The sleeve also carries and at its opposite end adjacent the juxtaposed wall it a collar l9 bearing a pair of radially extending pins 20, 2| which are diametrically disposed cn the collar periphery. One of these pins, for example the pin 20, normally engages a stop collar 23 on an axially displaceable rod 24. The latter is spring-urged in a direction for the collar to engage forceably at the inner face of frame plate Hi to maintain collar 23 in the position wherein rotation of the sleeve is prevented. However, provision is made, as by extending the rod through plate ill where it terminates in a head 25 adapted for external man- I ual actuation, for release of the sleeve in pushing the rod at the head axially inwardly until the latter engages the outer face of plate I0. The diameter of said rod being substantially less than the diameter of the stop collar, sufiicient clear- I.

ance for a pin 26 or 2| will be afforded when the release button or head 25 is depressed to perunit the sleeve to be rotated, it being understood that the manually applied pressure on head 25 must be maintained until a pin fully clears. will hereinafter be more fully set forth, this ro tation may be continued then through arproximately 180 when the other pin locks against the collar. The sleeve may not be further rotated then until rod 24 is again manually displaced.

Rotation of the sleeve is effected through the introduction into said sleeve of an identifying key member designed to fit the bore of the sleeve and having a plurality of radially extending pins such as the pins 25, 2'! and 28-all of wh ch lie in a common plane. A further and shorter pin 29 extends from the rod in a diametrically opposite direction to limit the extent of insertion of the key member, said member, furthermore, being insertable in one predetermined angular position of the pins only, the front frame plate to this end being provided with a key slot 38 to pass the pins. Since the sleeve is rotatable in one direction only, it will be appreciated that a key member may not be withdrawn, once it has been inserted and the initial rotation effected after clearing pin 20, until a complete (360) rotation of the member has been effected. The first pin 25, after the initial rotation, will then engage the inner face of frame plate l0.

As the key member is inserted to its predetermined full extent and locked in by first depressing the release button and then giving the key member a slight rotation, its inner end contacts a switch actuating plunger 35 to connect to a bank of switches 3.) a source of power, represented by the conductors 3'!38 which are attached to a block 39 secured to the outer face of frame plate H. Th s bank of switches is carried by a cross bar 40, the respective switches being controlled selectively, in the present disclosure, by the coacting pin 28 of the key members, although it is to be understood that several pins may be so utilized to this end depending on the particular signal desired. Different key members will of course, actuate different ones of the switches or combinations of switches of said bank, thus effecting identification of the particular key member through the signals transmitted to an electromagnetic printer receiver of any well-known design. I prefer, however, to make use in this connection of the printer receiver disclosed in my application for U. S. Letters Patent for Electrically Operated Printer Receiver, filed by me of even date herewith and which eventuated in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,604,537.

In its locking-in of the key member, the first pin 26 will have become positioned behind the inner face of the frame plate [0 so that axial displacement of the key member is prevented and the power supply to the switch bank is maintained for the duration of the cycle. As the member then continues its rotation, the third axially displaced pin 28 will operate a corresponding wiper through a predetermined arc to close the signal circuit at the particular switch causin thereby a printing signal to be transmitted to the printer receiver, as is well understood. This, however, merely sets up the appropriate identification signal or signals. After all of the signals have thus been established to set up the operators identifying key number or symbol, the actual printing of the identification symbols in correspondence therewith is accomplished by the continued rotation wherein pin 27 eventually picks up the appropriate switch which will send then the signal to the printing mechanism.

It will be understood that, while, for the sake of simplicity, but a single pin 28 has been shown for setting up identification signals, pins additional thereto for performing a like function may be provided if more complex identification printing be desired; also, further pins may be provided to control different functions through the operation of their associated switches.

Before complete rotation of the key member has been accomplishedbut after one-half complete rotation--which requires depresser button 25 again to be actuated, a further switch 4| of the bank is actuated through the action of a cam member 42 provided on the collar I9. The signal transmitted as a result of the closing of a circuit at the said further switch effects a further and closing printing. The key member may then be brought into registry with the key slot 30 and withdrawn.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for the transmission of electrical signals by the manual operation of a selected rod of a plurality of different rods, including a housing having a front plate with key slot entrance opening; a longitudinally slotted sleeve rotatably mounted within the housing coaxially with the entrance opening, and means to prevent rotation of the sleeve in one direcplurality of operating rods introducible selec-,

tively into the housing through said entrance opening and into the slotted sleeve, each rod having a plurality of integral, radially extending pins along its surface, all in a common plane and adapted to pass through the slot of said sleeve to project beyond the same, said pins upon rotation of a rod through a predetermined are being adapted to actuate in accordance with the displacement of a pin longitudinally along its same, together with resilient means urging the disengaging means in an axial direction to cause normally its collar to abut the inner face of the front plate.

RALPH L. THOMPSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,143,676 Williams June 22, 1915 1,291,722 Barnes Jan. 21, 1919 1,810,323 Nolen June 16, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 15 Number Country Date 522,423 Great Britain June 18, 1940 

